UNC routs Western Carolina

Saturday

Nov 18, 2017 at 10:21 PMNov 18, 2017 at 10:24 PM

Dennis Garcia

CHAPEL HILL — When a football season has gone as bad as the one North Carolina is going through, little things can sometimes be big.Like a two-game winning streak.The Tar Heels, who broke a six-game slide by beating Pitt 10 days ago, made it two straight wins with a 65-10 victory over Western Carolina University Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium. The win lifts UNC to 3-8 on the season as the Tar Heels head toward their season-ending battle with rival N.C. State next Saturday.The win over the Catamounts in their first-ever meeting gave the Tar Heels their first winning streak in over a year — the last coming when UNC defeated Miami, Virginia and Georgia Tech in October and November of 2016.“We made a lot of plays on offense, defense and special teams,” UNC coach Larry Fedora said. “It hasn’t been the type of season we have wanted. Our seniors have done a great job of keeping everything positive and working hard. It’s great to see our seniors go out like that on their home field.”It was the first win of the season at home for UNC.“Our seniors have done everything to keep us together,” quarterback Nathan Elliott said after his second career start in which he completed 18 of 28 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns. “We’re glad we could send them out this way.”The Tar Heels, who trailed 7-0 midway through the first quarter, scored 65 straight points, including scoring touchdowns on five straight possessions while also getting a defensive score mixed in. That put UNC up 42-7 at halftime and the Tar Heels added the first 23 points of the second half for a 65-7 lead. The 55-point win is the largest margin of victory since an 80-20 win over Old Dominion in 2013.Western Carolina, which more than likely sees its season end at 7-5, took the first lead of the game as the Catamounts drove 61 yards on seven plays for a score on their second possession. Tyrie Adams hit Connell Young on 2-yard scoring strike to cap the drive at the 8:19 mark.UNC responded, driving 61 yards on nine plays to tie the game on a 15-yard scoring strike from Elliott to Anthony Ratliff-Williams on its second drive. Williams, who became the third FBS player in more than two decades to account for touchdowns passing, receiving and on a kickoff return in the same game last week against Pittsburgh, finished with five receptions for 88 yards and the one TD.

North Carolina took the lead after an 88-yard scoring drive, which was capped by a beautiful 16-yard fade rout to the corner of the end zone by freshman Josh Cabrera. That came at the 13:13 mark of the second quarter.Elliott connected with tight end Brandon Fritts for a 6-yard scoring play at the 11:50 mark and then on the second play on the ensuing drive, UNC’s Malik Carney forced a fumble that was returned 28 yards for a score by Jonathan Smith at the 11:15 mark.UNC then drove 56 yards in seven plays, getting a 3-yard scoring run by Jordan Brown, and 73 yards on seven plays, getting an 18-yard TD pass from Elliott to Cabrera for a 42-7 halftime lead.“The last two weeks, we haven’t turned the ball over, we’re taking care of the ball,” Fedora said. “When you take care of the football, you put yourself in position to win the game.”Freeman Jones kicked a 26-yard field goal in the third quarter and Michael Carter scored on a 4-yard run.The Catamounts, who now stand 0-54 against FBS opponents after losses to Hawaii and UNC this season, allowed a 44-yard scoring pass from Chazz Surratt to Beau Corrales in the fourth quarter and a 59-yard TD run by Surratt, the longest rushing play of the season for the Tar Heels.Detrez Newsome rushed for 107 yards for the Catamounts, who won the possession game, 31:52-28:08.UNC finished with 611 yards of offense — 313 on the ground and 298 through the air. Carter finished with 103 rushing yards.“We are a better football team than we were with the players we have,” Fedora said. “The last to weeks have been good. Anytime you create momentum, it’s good for your players, your program and your fans.”